MOUNTAIN RAIL PLANS STIR FEAR FOR UNSKILLED SKIERS

Special to the New York Times

Published: March 29, 1987

CONCORD, N.H., March 27—
Among seasoned skiers, the run at Tuckerman Ravine on Mount Washington is considered so dangerous that only the foremost experts should risk it.

It is a terrifying, nearly vertical drop from the precipice at the summit of Mount Washington, which at 6,288 feet is the Northeast's highest mountain, and it demands of skiers aerial turns, strength, balance and sheer guts -after a three-hour climb through heavy snow to the summit.

But now the Mount Washington Cog Railway, which since 1869 has ferried visitors up the mountain only in summer, plans ski trains every Saturday and Sunday in spring, the prime time for skiing the ravine.

The trains are expected to make the ravine run accessible to as many as 3,000 skiers. And there is great concern among people active in search and rescue operations, the Appalachian Mountain Club and others familiar with the mountain that the easy trip will spur less than expert skiers to attempt the run, risking injury or worse.

The railway's owners say they are making every effort to assure people's safety and deter unqualified skiers. A Final Permit Is Awaited

The United States Forest Service, which owns portions of the land involved, is expected to announce Tuesday whether it will grant the Cog Railway the final permit it needs for going ahead with the trains. The railway owners, Joel J. Bedor and Wayne W. Presby, say they expect approval.

Under the plans, skiers will be able to buy a $79 one-way ticket to reach the summit in April and May. From there they may ski over the summit precipice and on down to the Pinkham Notch base camp run by the Appalachian Mountain Club, which is a group of mountaineers and rescuers.

The upper pitch at Tuckerman is 60 degrees. In sharp contrast, the expert trails at the state-owned Cannon Mountain ski area are 30 degrees. Avalanches in the ravine make skiing impossible in winter. But by early April, the powder becomes a hard-packed surface suitable for skis.

''This isn't your friendly neighborhood ski area,'' said George Hamilton, a Concord banker who spent 15 years working at Mount Washington with the mountain club and with the state park system.

''Conditions can change very quickly up there,'' he said. ''I'm talking about a change from sun to snow, and ice, and fog, and wind.'' Winds with a velocity exceeding 60 miles an hour are ''not unusual,'' he said, adding that ''a few years ago a skier got knocked off balance'' because of winds near the summit. The skier slid to his death.

The Cog Railway brochure promoting the ski trains clearly warns that only the most expert skiers should attempt the trip. Mr. Bedor said skiers would be questioned closely about their skills.

The railway has also hired an expert skier who will be authorized to prevent anyone from skiing down the ravine. He is Michael Pelchat, a ski patrol officer at Cannon Mountain who is in charge of the Mount Washington summit station in summer. Mr. Pelchat will escort skiers who change their minds back to the train or even help them reach a spot from which they can more easily ski down the mountain.

Mr. Bedor said several ski experts and emergency medical technicians would be on each trip to the summit.

Photo of a skier climbing up Tuckerman Ravine on Mount Washington (AP)